An Introduction to Faculty Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Excellence in Nurse Education: Literature Review

Abstract

Background The diversity of the world’s population is increasing, along with the health inequities of underrepresented minority populations. To provide high-quality care to all patients, nurses require an understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as how to implement best practices. Nurse educators are the ones to lead the way for DEI education for students. Objective This paper aims to describe the findings of a literature review that introduces DEI concepts for excellence in nurse education and their related benefits. Best practices for actions to address DEI in nursing education will be described. Methods After institutional review board approval, a literature search yielded 61 articles using 15 distinct keywords in 4 global, peer-reviewed literature databases. Melynk and Fineout-Overholt’s (2023) Levels of Evidence guided the process of selecting 26 peer-reviewed articles and resources. Results Common themes for best practices in DEI were identified. These themes included recruiting underrepresented minority nursing faculty, incorporating DEI into an institution’s mission statement, addressing DEI topics in curricula, providing leadership, having a DEI strategic plan, developing education, developing data-based interventions, instilling policy change, partnering in outreach, targeting impact on hiring committees, recognizing DEI work, and providing mentorship. Conclusions In summary, this literature review provides several strategies to address DEI for nurse educators. Committing to DEI efforts and improving diversity in the nurse educator workforce are integral steps in improving the quality and inclusivity of nursing education and ultimately improving the health of our communities.